Adhi Vinayak temple, one of the only Lord Ganesha shrines in human form
Because of the human face, this Adi Vinayaka form is also known as "Nara Mukha" Vinayaka as Nara means Human & Mukha means Face and thus "Human Faced" Ganesh as opposed to the elephant faced deity that we all know and love.
NewsBharati 31-Aug-2022 09:31:16 AM
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Lord Ganesha is always worshipped as the ‘Gajmukh’ (having an elephant head) and when we imagine Him, we always do so by picturing him in that form. In every idol and temple, Lord Ganesha has the face of an elephant. But there does exist one unique temple where Ganesha is worshipped with a human face or the Nara Mukha Vinayaka, in Tamil Nadu.
To this day, devotees visit this temple to offer prayers to get rid of ‘pitr dosh’. The name Thilatharpanapuri comes from two words - 'thil' meaning gingely and 'tharpana' is the Hindu ritual of performing 'pithru karmas' to ancestors.
The 5-foot-tall majestic deity of the temple – Nandrudayan Vinayaka adorning a Naghabharanam around his waist, has a Naganandhi facing him at the Eastern entrance of the temple. The 7th Century Tamil savant Sambandar had in one of his pathikams praised the presiding deity of the temple thereby indicating that this is one of the oldest temples in Sirapalli or Tiruchi.
Inside the small shrine, there are idols of Adi Sankara, Sage Veda Vyasa, Goddess Gayatri, Sadasiva Brahmendra and Saint Pattinathar. According to Sage Ramarathinam, the trustee of the temple, Kanchi Paramacharya used to pray at the Thayumanavar and Uchipillayar temples on the fort. When he visited the temple about 60 years ago, he suggested the rendering of Vedas in the temple everyday it is being followed, the reciting done by scholars. Pujas are performed for Adi Vinayagar on Thursdays.
According to the Hindu scriptrues, there are 7 sthalams for performing these rituals – Kasi, Rameswaram, Srivanchiyam, Thiruvenkadu, Gaya, Thiriveni Sangamam and Thilatharpanapuri. This place is considered equivalent to Kashi or Rameswaram. The shrine for Aadi Vinayaka is just outside the main temple of Muktheeswarar .
The story of Lord Shiva beheading Naramukha Vinayaka who was created by Parvati and then replacing the head with an elephant head is known to most. But what a lot of people don't know is that Lord Shiva had instructed his troops to bring the head of anyone found sleeping with his head placed towards North. The troop found an elephant sleeping with its head towards North. Lord Shiva named the boy Ganapati – meaning commander of his troops. He granted a boon that Ganapati shall be worshipped by everybody before starting anything new.
It is said that Maha Guru Agasthya worships the Adi Vinayaka on every Sankathara Chathurti day. It is also believed that worshipping Lord Ganesha here brings peace in family relations; and with blessings of Vinayaka, the memory of children is bettered.
This rare temple is located in the Muktheeswarar Temple near Thilatharpanapuri in Tamil Nadu. It is known as Adhi Vinayaka temple. Because of His human face, this Adhi Vinayaka’s divine form is also known as Nara Mukha Vinayaka. This was Lord Ganesha’s divine form before he became the Gajanana or the elephant-faced deity Lord Ganesha.
Legend | The legend associated with this says, Lord Rama was trying to perform the last rites for King Dasarath. But every time he prayed, the four rice balls (called as Pindam) that he kept in front of him, turned into worms. Distressed, he prayed to Lord Shiva, who advised Rama to go to Mantharavanam, which was the prior name of this place, and offer his prayers there. Lord Ram visited this temple and performed Shiv puja for the salvation of Dashrath’s soul, to his surprise, the four pindams became four Lingams. These Lingams are enshrined here in Muktheeswarar Temple, which is near Adi Vinayak Temple.
To this day, devotees visit this temple to offer prayers to get rid of ‘pitr dosh’. The name Thilatharpanapuri comes from two words - 'thil' meaning gingely and 'tharpana' is the Hindu ritual of performing 'pithru karmas' to ancestors.
The 5-foot-tall majestic deity of the temple – Nandrudayan Vinayaka adorning a Naghabharanam around his waist, has a Naganandhi facing him at the Eastern entrance of the temple. The 7th Century Tamil savant Sambandar had in one of his pathikams praised the presiding deity of the temple thereby indicating that this is one of the oldest temples in Sirapalli or Tiruchi.
The brilliantly sculptured granite idol of Lord Ganesh is truly captivating. He can be seen holding the axe, symbolising the destruction of all desires, a rope to indicate his willingness to rescue anyone from the mire of vasanas, the modaka representing the joyous reward of spiritual life, and the lotus symbolising that all can achieve the supreme state of self-realisation.
The belly of Lord Ganesha conveys the idea that a Man of Perfection can consume and digest whatever experience he undergoes. The tiny rat which is seated in front of the Lord amidst a rich collection of food is to indicate that a perfect man – like the rat, will have total control over his desires.
Inside the small shrine, there are idols of Adi Sankara, Sage Veda Vyasa, Goddess Gayatri, Sadasiva Brahmendra and Saint Pattinathar. According to Sage Ramarathinam, the trustee of the temple, Kanchi Paramacharya used to pray at the Thayumanavar and Uchipillayar temples on the fort. When he visited the temple about 60 years ago, he suggested the rendering of Vedas in the temple everyday it is being followed, the reciting done by scholars. Pujas are performed for Adi Vinayagar on Thursdays.
The story of Lord Shiva beheading Naramukha Vinayaka who was created by Parvati and then replacing the head with an elephant head is known to most. But what a lot of people don't know is that Lord Shiva had instructed his troops to bring the head of anyone found sleeping with his head placed towards North. The troop found an elephant sleeping with its head towards North. Lord Shiva named the boy Ganapati – meaning commander of his troops. He granted a boon that Ganapati shall be worshipped by everybody before starting anything new.
It is said that Maha Guru Agasthya worships the Adi Vinayaka on every Sankathara Chathurti day. It is also believed that worshipping Lord Ganesha here brings peace in family relations; and with blessings of Vinayaka, the memory of children is bettered.
Kinjal Dixit
Kinjal Dixit has a degree in bachelors in English and is currently pursuing her Master's in Journalism and Mass Communication. She has a hand at writing about infrastructure, culture and in sharing humanitarian stories.